[BCMA] Audio Systems and Soundscapes

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

The very best soundscape I have ever experienced at any museum or historic site was at the Smoky Valley Roller Mill & Museum in Lindsborg, Kansas.   The three floor flour mill building and all the machinery had been beautifully preserved and restored.   But, it was too costly to staff it for operation, and the limited visitor attendance in the small town did not justify having Interpreters in the Mill to explain it.   The museum’s Board of Directors wanted visitors to have a sense of the mill as a living thing and not just a static pile of machinery.  To limit operation costs, they decided to replace Interpreters or traditional signs with an informational sound system for a self-guided tour in the Mill.  They visited a lot of museums to get ideas of how such a sound system might work, but found all of the presentations tediously informational and basically boring when one was standing to listen at a display.   Cleverly, the Board decided to approach a local pop radio station disc jockey to write and read the texts and to create a simple soundscape on tape.   They imagined that the popular local radio DJ who also did on-air commercials would know best of all how to communicate a verbal message effectively in a short amount of time.

The DJ enjoyed the challenge as a break from his usual work, and created three minute (max) descriptions for a number of locations in the Mill.   They did not run continuously, but were combined with sounds of machinery operating to run for six minutes before going silent.    Motion detectors turned on the recordings for any location in the building when a visitor approached.   The timing was impeccable, allowing visitors a little time to gaze about before hearing words describing the actual scene at each point.   The timing felt comfortable, just as if one was being greeted graciously by a real person.   It was not rushed or too slow for the situation.  The words were matched perfectly to what one actually saw from each spot.

The texts were short but mechanical sounds at each location went on longer than a visitor would typically remain standing there.   The result was an ever changing background soundscape throughout the building as recorded voices and sounds from other floors and locations wafted unobtrusively through the spaces.   It all felt so alive, and the texts were brilliantly informative and easy to listen to.   One never had the feeling of being done to by a mechanical voice, but rather that the Mill was alive with well spoken staff who loved to efficiently share what they knew with an honoured visitor.   The character of efficiency suited the environment.

The DJ became so enamoured with the museum during the project that he became a dedicated and active Board Member.

I experienced that 30 years ago and still recall the clever excellence of the informational style.   I have never heard better, and also enjoy a better appreciation of radio DJs as potential allies for museum communications. 

Cuyler Page
Heritage Interpretation Services
Vernon, BC
(250) 309-9248
cuyler at telus.net



On Feb 27, 2019, at 2:45 PM, Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv. <bcma at lists.vifa.ca> wrote:

>  
> Hello
>  
> I am hoping you can provide advice and recommendations.
> 
> We would like to explore the possibility of introducing a soundscape into a large heritage building. I am looking for companies you have used or products for both 1) Audio system and 2) Finding a soundscape that is the right fit.
>  
> Any assistance would be appreciated.
>  
>  
> Rebecca
>  
> Rebecca Forrest
> Project Leader | Museum & Heritage Services
> Community Services Division
> City of Richmond
> o: 604 238-8036
> c: 604 314-7037
> rforrest at richmond.ca
>  
>  
> _______________________________________________
> BCMA mailing list
> BCMA at lists.vifa.ca
> http://lists.vifa.ca/mailman/listinfo/bcma

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